Polytan and SPORTENG have collaborated in designing the Sandringham Athletics Track and implementing the SmarTrack system for athletics tracks.
What is SmarTrack, and how does it work?
SmarTrack is an innovative diagnostic software that helps record performance and analysis for athletes and coaches. It is a 3-parts magnets system that consists of:
- Installed magnets underneath lane lines at strategic locations create a magnetic "gate" the athletes run through.
- Equipe the athlete with a sensor or smartphone carried with a run belt worn on their back.
- Provide diagnostic software to record performance and analysis.
It offers performance diagnostics without complex technical setup and running data for any sports discipline with real-time timing results. The timing system measures athletes' runs with the free Smart Run app or via the DX5.0 sensor to receive high-quality timing and step data. The magnetic signal of the SmarTracks Timing Gates is picked up by the sensors and displayed in the Smart Run app when the athlete passes through the timing gate. Through the wireless connection to the DX5.0 sensor, the results are live-streamed to the smartphone during the run.
The app also delivers professional and efficient performance diagnostics. It has the unique capacity to measure different types of assessments using the same system. This means an athlete can perform runs, tappings, jumps, and agility tests in consecutive order without changing measuring equipment.
In the context of the Sandringham Athletics Track, our client Bayside City Council requested the redevelopment of the tracks to include a system that allowed athletes to record their times.
Having won the tender for the construction of the track, Polytan offered SmarTrack as a system to provide the club's needs to record their athletes' results.
The club's interest is in getting precise and thorough information about recording and training times. The possibility for any athlete to download a free app and use it as a basic training tool, along with the option for coaches to use a more advanced sensor for more detailed data, was positive with decision-making.
An innovative tool to improve coaches' overall efficiency
Already accessible to the parks and leisure industry, the Smart Track system can be used for various running applications, from athletic tracks to jogging tracks, football and hockey fields, and any other sports where testing of athletic ability is desired.
It also fulfils a gap in the industry by providing an automatic approach to recording individual or multiple athletes in the same training session. Coaches can obtain accurate data and compare training records, doing away with the old stopwatch and notepad commonly used. The data is collected on the sensor and downloaded onto the coach's preferred device (laptop, etc.).
Doing so helps improve the coach's overall efficiency by reducing impacts on resources and ease of application. The athlete could train with or without the coach present, and the sensor sends the athlete's data in real-time to the coach for download and study at a preferred time. Coaches can then manage different athletes at different locations simultaneously while giving the athletes better flexibility around their own training schedules.
No wasted time in scouting the next World Champion
Being used across various sports such as Field Hockey, Athletics, Football, American Gridiron, and AFL, this system differentiates itself from other similar equipment as it can provide more insightful data (steps information, speed in specific directions). This puts the system as an ideal tool in scouting and identifying potential new players and athletes, as it delivers the physical attributes data that the coaches and clubs at elite levels are after to spot the next World Champion!
It also helps to scout without spending a heavy budget on staff and equipment (stopwatches, notepads, photographs...) to do so. The data provided helps train athletes better by pinpointing their deficiencies and lack of performance. Data analysis can be done faster and more efficiently while athletes get more flexibility in managing their training schedules.
The SmarTrack system is an innovative technology that offers athletes and coaches an automatic approach to recording individual or multiple athletes in the same training session.
With a solid lifespan - once installed, the system can remain in place for over twenty years without any regular maintenance required - its accessibility, ease of application and data recording make it a valuable asset to the parks and leisure industry.